How does the brain develop in individuals with autism?
Wednesday, November 12, 2014 · Posted by Heidelberg University
Geneticists at Heidelberg University Hospital’s Department of Molecular Human Genetics have used a new mouse model to demonstrate the way a certain genetic mutation is linked to a type of autism in humans and affects brain development and behavior. In the brain of genetically altered mice, the protein FOXP1 is not synthesized, which is also the case for individuals with a certain form of autism. Consequently, after birth the brain structures degenerate that play a key role in perception. The mice also exhibited abnormal behavior that is typical of autism.
A Bird’s Song May Be Key to Understanding Human Speech Disorders, UCLA Scientists Report
Tuesday, March 30, 2004 · Posted by University of California- Los Angeles
“Language is uniquely human, but it has components, such as the ability to create new sounds; the zebra finch does that. It creates new sounds like instrumental music, and may do that using the same genes as humans.”